28. Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary if his attention has been called to a letter written by the Reverend Canon Nicholson, Protestant chaplain of the Cork workhouse, read at the meeting of the guardians on the 25th April, complaining that the rules of the workhouse had been transgressed by an attempt made to compel a Protestant inmate, named Wilkins, who had been married six years ago and had one son, to have a marriage ceremony gone through again in the presence of a priest, and that otherwise, as his wife had been told by a priest, their previous marriage would be illegal and their child illegitimate; that a man stated to be a Roman Catholic priest went to the workhouse subsequently, and having seen Wilkins informed him that it would be necessary for him to be married again by a Roman Catholic priest, and that Wilkins refused; that subsequently, when the letter of the Protestant chaplain came before a committee for investigation, the matter was quickly hushed up and the name of the Roman Catholic priest, who went to the workhouse and who tried to influence Wilkins and his wife to go through the ceremony of marriage again by a Roman Catholic priest, would not be given although asked for; if he will call upon the Local Government Board to hold an inquiry into the circumstances of the complaint of the Protestant chaplain; if 1035 he will take means to have the name of the Roman Catholic priest whose conduct is complained of made public; and if he will take measures to protect any of His Majesty's subjects who have been married according to the law of the land, whether Protestants or Roman Catholics, from attempts to coerce them to get married again by a priest?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt appears from the minutes of the Cork Board of Guardians of 25th April last that the letter referred to containing statements similar to those set out in the question was read at the meeting, and was referred by the board of guardians to the visiting committee for investigation. When the report of the visiting committee was considered by the board of guardians at their meeting on 9th May, the assistant Protestant chaplain having stated that he was satisfied with a statement made to the committee on the subject by the assistant Roman Catholic chaplain, they thereupon decided that no action be taken in reference to the matter. The Local Government Board have received no further communication from the Reverend Canon Nicholson, and they assume that he concurs in the view expressed by his assistant in the matter, and no further action appears to be necessary.
Captain CRAIGHas the right hon. Gentleman taken any steps on broad grounds to stop this attempt to enforce the Ne Temere decree in various parts of the country?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI should be very sorry to interfere with the agreement come to by the Protestant chaplain and the Roman Catholic chaplain upon the particular facts of this case.